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True all-mountain skis are intended to be used in roughly equal amounts on and off piste (able to carve on hardpack, but also skiable in deep powder). In practice many have a bias towards one or the other. Also known as “mid-fats”, most have 85mm to 100mm waists.

Men's all mountain expert

Armada Invictus 99 Ti

£440

Best for: Speedy smoothness, on or off piste

Strong all-round skis, the Invictus 99 Tis are very stiff indeed, so feel lively and responsive. They’re easy to pivot, due to a centred mounting point and tip rocker. At higher speeds they’re stable and solid when carving – they top the group for smoothness. The tip rocker also helps in fresh snow – they score just as well off piste as on.

+ Long turns, high speed, smoothness
– None

Lengths 171, 179, 187
Sidecut 133/98/123 (179)
Radius 20.5m (179)

Blizzard Quattro 8.4 Ti

£625 including bindings

Best for: Short, controlled turns

These hold their own in crud but are more at home on groomed piste, where they score highest in the group. Fun and feisty, they make lightning‑quick short turns (another top score, along with liveliness/responsiveness) both on and off piste. They’re easiest to control at a slower pace and are joint top scorers for low speed and moguls.

Fischer Pro Mtn 86 Ti

£430

Best for: Easy pivoting and solid carving

Equally good on or off piste, the Pro Mtn 86 Tis are nimble and fun in soft snow but carve well at speed too – topping the group for versatility. They’re easy to turn and pivot well (they’re joint group leaders for moguls) and are silky smooth at speed, providing a dynamic, enjoyable ride.

Head Monster 88

£520 including bindings

Best for: Big bad beasts

Top scorers in the group for high speed, the Head Monster 88s give the skier – particularly the heavier, aggressive skier – a solid and dynamic platform at pace. With good edge hold, they perform better the faster and longer you make the turn. They’re also great off piste, where they’re confident chargers through crud and powder.

Best on test

Nordica NRGy 100

£420

Best for: Stability balanced with sprightliness

The Nordica NRGy 100s are light and easy to pivot but are stable too. They perform well when driven faster by more aggressive skiers and lead the group for edge hold and long turns. They have the beef to blast through crunchy off piste and cope faultlessly in all conditions and on all surfaces.

Best value

Scott Reverse

£300

Best for: Helping progress to off-piste skiing

The Reverses are agile skis – easy to manoeuvre and persuade into turns, especially off piste. Scott’s Venturi-tip rocker is hollowed out to aid initiation and provide float. They’re solid all-round performers, on piste and off, and are fairly stable in long turns. They suit progressive piste skiers who want to dabble at the sides of groomed runs.

+ Low speed, off piste, groomed piste
– None

Lengths 166, 176, 184
Sidecut 128/87/118 (176)
Radius 15m (176)

Völkl RTM 86 UVO

£700 inlcuding bindings

Best for: Charging around at high speed

The RTM 86 UVOs are lively, comfortably charging around the mountain at higher speeds and in longer turns. But they also give great performance in short-radius turns. They score better for on piste than off, but an extended tip and tail rocker design provides float at speed in powder.

Women's all mountain expert

These are mainly slightly wider versions of piste skis, making them easier to handle off piste. Flex is also a major factor in how they perform and means that some prefer powder while others perform best on hard snow.

Armada Victa 87 Ti

£400

Best for: Fun in soft snow and bumps

Scoring identically for on and off piste, the Victa 87 Tis are ideally balanced for all-mountain skiing. Best suited to technicaly proficient skiers, they’re good fun and easy to use in soft snow, while also performing well on piste in short turns, where they lead the group. In icy conditions, they can be skittish and hard to edge, unless skied with real precision.

+ Short turns, moguls
– Edge hold

Lengths 155, 163, 171
Sidecut 126/86/119 (163)
Radius 16.5m (163)

Best on test

Atomic Vantage 90 CTi W

£575 including bindings

Best for: Energetic edge hold

Atomic’s new Firewall (an extra-thick sidewall underfoot for better power transmission) makes these skis highly dynamic, muscling through crud, holding a line on hardpack and pivoting equally well on piste and off. This performance is reflected in joint top scores for versatility, off piste and long turns. They also lead the group for low speed.

+ Long turns, low speed, versatility, groomed piste, off piste
– None

Lengths 153, 161, 169
Sidecut 129/90/113 (161)
Radius 14.9m (161)

Black Crows Camox Birdie

£510

Best for: All-conditions confidence

Camox Birdies are good all-rounders but lean more towards the freeride side of the equation – they come joint top for off piste. Powerful but easy to use at any speed, they give the rider reassurance when skied aggressively. They achieve a balance between solidity and manoeuvrability, happily ploughing through all types of snow and acquitting themselves well in moguls.

+ Off piste, moguls
– Edge hold

Lengths 165, 175
Sidecut 122/97/110 (165)
Radius 18m (165)

Dynastar Glory 89

£465

Best for: Rewarding effort

One of the heavier, stiffer models here, the Glory 89s suit the piste best. Off piste, they drive through all conditions – but only if skied aggressively. On piste it also takes effort to get them to respond, and they’re not as manoeuvrable as some others. But with effort they have good edge hold and perform well in fast, long turns.

Nordica Belle 88

£390

Best for: Skiing with aggression and speed

Joint best for smoothness and versatility, these also perform strongly for high speed. On piste, they have great edge hold and are light and manoeuvrable, yet solid enough to ski with speed and aggression. They’re also solid in off-piste crud. Great for those looking to progress off piste.

Best value

Scott Luna

£300

Best for: Cruising through chopped-up powder

The Lunas are good all-rounders, performing well on and off piste. They’re fantastic at high speed, inside or outside the piste markers, and cruise through chopped-up snow. In short turns on hardpack, they’re not the easiest to switch from edge to edge and require effort to hold an edge.

Best on test

Völkl Flair 81

£575 including bindings

Edge-to-edge action with confidence

These solid skis are either outright leaders (listed as + marks) or come joint top (smoothness, long turns, versatility). They perform best at high speeds but are happy at low speed too and transition with ease. Their supreme grip leans them more to piste skiing but they’re heavy enough to master mixed snow too.